Winter Magic
by LiveLoveLaughLife
Summary: Emma Pillsbury does not ice skate. She never has, and she never will. Well, she thought that she never would. Then she met Will Schuester.


A/N: A completely fluffy Will/Emma oneshot! I know it's kind of long but I didn't want to split it up. If you've read my story _Twisted Plots and Sue Sylvester_ you may have noticed a couple paragraphs in the first chapter that talk about Will and Emma going ice skating...well, this is their ice skating trip. You don't have to read _Twisted_ to read this as they're not really connected at all. Like, for instance, in this fic Will and Em are living together while in _Twisted_ they aren't. But that's where the idea came from. Reviews are amazing and I will be really, really grateful if you leave me one!!

Also, thanks to Becky215 for suggesting turning the ice skating story into an actual story. :)

Disclaimer: Glee isn't mine!

* * *

"Please? It'll be fun!"

"I…I don't think that's a very good idea."

"Oh, c'mon, Emma. Live a little."

"I…no."

Will frowned at her. "Please? For me?"

Emma opened her mouth, but didn't know what to say. The result was her mouth opening and closing like she was some kind of demented fish. As this slowly dawned on her, her cheeks began steadily growing red until she was positive that she was doing a very good impersonation of a tomato.

"Em?" Will questioned. He was giving her a wide-eyed innocent look and was even pouting slightly. His eyes locked with hers, begging silently.

"I…but…," She mumbled, finally finding her voice again. "There's so many germs." She finally whined. She really hated having to admit that the only reason she was refusing to go was because of the germs…but that was the truth. Just the idea of all of the nasty parasites and microscopic organisms coating an ice rink made her skin crawl.

When you added the fact that she'd have to rent _used_ ice skates…there was no way she was going with Will. Ever.

Instead of getting angry or frustrated with her, as ex-boyfriends and even her family sometimes got, Will's eyes softened and his frown flipped so that he was smiling easily at her. He walked towards where she was standing in her living room. After all, he had cornered her when she was in the middle of wiping off the coffee table.

Emma felt her cheeks growing hot once again, and cursed herself. When Will reached out and took the disinfectant wipe she was cleaning with out of her hand and replaced it with his hand, she felt her heart begin to beat in double time. Cursing silently once more, she realized that she really needed to get a handle on the way his mere presence made her go all weak-kneed.

Holding her right hand in his, Will gently lifted it so that it was between them, and then covered it with his other hand. He looked at Emma, who was staring at their joined hands, and locked eyes with her when she finally glanced up.

"If I told you I had a plan to reduce the amount of germs, would you trust me?" He asked quietly.

"I…," She swallowed, totally humiliated by the way her voice had just squeaked. Flirting was _not_ her strong suit.

"You don't trust me?" He looked hurt and Emma's eyes widened exceptionally, which is definitely saying something because it's _Emma_.

"No! Yes!" She exclaimed. "Yes, of course I trust you. I just don't think that you can do anything to make _ice skating_," She said it with disgust and wrinkled her nose, "appealing to me."

"I think you're wrong." He said simply, smiling. "If I tell you that I can make sure that we're the only two people skating, will you go with me?"

"That…that would be _better_, but I still wouldn't feel comfortable in an ice rink." She said slowly, looking away from him. "And…used skates." She cringed noticeably.

"Okay." Will said. His smile began to grow and Emma didn't know whether to rejoice because she had won, or be afraid because he had a new plan. Letting go of Emma's hand, Will's eyes sparkled. "I have the perfect solution."

"Will—,"

"I'll be back in a little while." He grinned at her, then turned to walk towards the door.

"Wait—,"

He didn't. The door shut and Emma was left alone in her apartment, wondering what had just happened. She sighed and went back to her cleaning.

Her thoughts began to wander as she carefully scrubbed everything in her living room three times. She really wanted to know what Will's supposed "solution" to her fear of ice skating in an ice rink was. Gosh, she really hated always turning him down when he suggested that she go out and do something with him…but she really hated germs. Her phobia always outweighed her desire to go with him, and her desire was very, _very_ strong.

Sometimes she really wanted to strangle her brother.

Pretty soon Will was going to find a place of his own and leave, and she would be right back where she started. Alone. Even after everything that had happened between the two of them including her not-so-happily-ever-after wedding and his nonexistant baby drama and new divorce…and then that _kiss_.

Oh, gosh, the kiss.

Just thinking about it made Emma blush and her stomach flip like crazy.

They hadn't spoken about it, though. Emma wasn't sure if Will wanted to forget that it happened or not. Things seemed to have changed between them since he kissed her that day and then convinced her to try to get her job back. He had moved in with her a few days later, thanking her and telling her that she was a great _friend_.

But he touched her more often. It could be as simple as a brush of hands when they both reached for the salt, or accidentally colliding with each other as they moved around her small kitchen. But then it could be as heart-stopping as what he had just done, taking her hand and holding it in his. Or wrapping his arm around her casually as they sat next to each other and watched the news.

Whatever the case, each and every time he touched her it made her heart beat in overtime.

Emma shook her head, then, trying to chase the thoughts of Will and how absolutely lovesick she was for him away. He didn't want her or else he would've said something by now. Obviously. She just had to accept that she was destined to be alone. Her one chance at being married had fallen through because she had screwed it up. She was going to die alone and that was that. There was no use fantasizing about Will.

With those melancholy thoughts drifting through her head, Emma threw her used disinfectant wipes away and sat tiredly on her coach. She flipped on the TV but didn't pay any attention to it. Her brain was working overtime despite how hard she tried to turn it off.

The door opened a little while later, and Emma turned from her position on the couch to see Will coming in. He shook the glistening drops of melted snow out of his hair and then slipped his shoes off. Emma's head titled slightly to the side as she took in the sight of the box he had tucked safely under his arm.

"Sorry, I tried to be back sooner but the roads are a mess." He shivered and then made his way over to her. "It's like a winter wonderland out there."

Emma glanced at the clock for the first time and was completely shocked that an hour had passed. She'd really been lost in her thoughts.

"What's that?" Her curiosity got the better of her and she pointed to the box that Will had rested on his lap once he sat down beside her.

"Your new ice skates."

"My what?" She blinked, her eyes growing wide for the second time that night.

"Ice skates." He grinned at her, and began opening the box. "I figure that you can clean them tonight, since I know that you'll want to, and then we'll be good to leave by noon-ish tomorrow."

"Will…," She was having a hard time controlling the whiny-ness in her voice. She didn't want to sound like a child but there was no way he was getting her into an ice rink. _No way_.

He looked up and saw the fear plain in her large eyes. He stopped opening the skates and smiled comfortingly at her. "Just trust me, Em. I'm not taking you to an ice rink."

Her eyebrows pulled together. "You're not?"

"Nope." He said happily, then continued with his task of opening the skates.

She shook her head. "I don't understand. Where else can we go ice skating?"

"That's for me to know and for you to find out."

"I hate it when people say that." She sighed irritably.

Will just chuckled. Finally he was able to release the ice skates from their box and held them up for Emma to look at. "I just guessed on the size." He admitted. "But I think I was pretty close."

Emma nodded and allowed him to hand her the skates. She carried them into the kitchen and immediately began to scrub them down. Will waited in the living room for about half an hour before he decided that she had cleaned enough to be satisfied and went into the kitchen.

She was, as he expected, still cleaning them.

"Ready to try them on?" He asked. Emma jumped, nearly dropping the skate in her hand. She turned around to face him and he smiled sheepishly, muttering a quiet apology for scaring her.

"I suppose." She didn't look very pleased, but Will knew she would enjoy herself tomorrow. He'd make sure of it.

Emma sat down at the table and began pulling the skates on. Will watched as they slid right on and she tied them.

"Perfect fit, Cinderella." He said, smiling as she raised her feet and turned them each direction to get a good look at them.

She decided to stand up and used the table to help her balance. "Does that make you my Prince Charming?" She asked quietly.

Then her foot twisted and she stumbled.

Will caught her in his arms and gently helped her stand once again. He kept his arms wrapped around her, though. "I guess it does." He smiled and she glanced up at him. "You okay?" He asked.

"Fine." She said, and he let go of her in order to help her back over to the chair. "I'm just not very good at these _things_." She huffed, motioning at her feet.

"You'll get the hang of it." He said, watching her unlace and pull off the brand-new skates.

Emma didn't say anything until she had safely removed the skates. Then she sighed. She looked at Will, who had moved so that he was sitting in the chair across the table from her. "I've never gone ice skating before."

Will smiled at the genuine insecurity and worry that filled her voice. He reached across the table and took her hand for the second time that night. "You'll do fine."

"Promise?"

"Promise."

And Emma couldn't help but to believe him.

*****

"Morning!"

Emma smiled, but in was half-hearted. "Good morning."

Will handed her a mug of the coffee he had just made, and she accepted it with a quiet "thanks" and sat down at the table. He whistled happily as he buzzed around the kitchen. Emma couldn't help but be struck with how domestic it seemed.

"Excited for today?" Will asked when he finally took his seat across from her.

Emma tried to smile, but she was pretty sure she failed. "I…I guess."

He laughed. Apparently her reluctance to go wasn't putting a damper on his excitement. She was glad, and couldn't help smiling, a real smile this time, at the way his eyes sparkled.

"You're going to have a great time, Em. Just wait."

"Okay." She said, but wasn't sure if she believed him or not.

An hour or so later and the two of them were both in the car, Will driving, on their way to some mystery location. Emma had on about four layers of clothing, not counting her coat, hat, scarf and gloves. She felt like an oversized and overstuffed marshmallow and was surprised that she could even fit through the door of her apartment. She had a plan, though. When she fell on the ice, since it was inevitable that she would, she would have on so many layers of padding that maybe it would hurt a little less.

Her new ice skates were in the back seat with Will's used ones and a first aid kit. Emma had stuffed the kit under the seat, not wanting Will to see it, but she wanted to be prepared. Going ice skating was like walking into a war zone, for her. She was prepared for the worst.

After nearly a two hour drive, Will suddenly pulled to a stop alongside the road. Emma looked at him, confused.

"Did we run out of gas?" She asked the first thing that came to her mind.

He laughed. "No. We're here."

"We're…where?" She looked around, but saw nothing. They were on a main road that was framed on either side by large snow covered trees. The scenery had been nearly the same for the last half hour, so Emma couldn't figure out how they had arrived at their destination. There was nothing here.

"Just come on." Will shot her a toothy grin and then opened his door, stepping out into the chilly winter air. Emma pulled her hat and gloves on and then mirrored his actions.

She stepped out of the nice warm car and into the cold, bitter wind of January. Her feet sunk straight down into the twelve inches of snow. She fought her way through the elements to the other side of the car, where Will was getting their skates out of the backseat. She tried to take hers from him but he shook his head.

"I'll carry them for you. It's a little bit of a hike."

"Oh." She said. "Thanks, Will."

"No problem." He grinned at her for what must have been the thousanth time today and then started into the woods. Emma followed behind him, stepping into the footprints he left.

They walked through the woods in silence for a little while. Emma was forcing herself to think of the beauty of it all, not how many germs were lurking here in the outdoors. Everything was white and glistening, and it looked amazing. The trees had some tiny icicles hanging on their already snow-covered branches, and every now and then the wind would blow, stirring the snow up and making it drift gently through the air.

"So," Emma sped up a little until she was walking beside Will. "How much longer?"

"Not long at all." He pushed aside some low hanging branches and Emma gasped.

The sight in front of them looked like a post card. There was a small frozen pond with just a few trees near it. The snow was glistening and sparkling and the sky was a beautiful shade of blue. Emma would've been content just to look at the pond, but Will had other plans. He grabbed her hand and pulled her with him towards it.

When they were a few feet away, he stopped and handed her her skates. He kicked off his own shoes and began pulling his on. Emma followed his example and did the same. She got her first skate on without a problem, but the second proved to be more difficult. She couldn't balance herself with _both_ skates on so how was she supposed to balance on one skate while she tried to put the other on?

A hand grasped her elbow, steadying her. She smiled timidly at Will and he smiled back. Emma hurried and put her other skate on while Will held her upright. When she was finished, Will motioned towards the ice.

"Ready?"

She opened her mouth, suddenly having second thoughts. "Are you, um, sure that this is safe? It's a pond, after all."

"It's safe."

"But—,"

"Trust me, Em." He tugged on her arm, pulling her towards the frozen water. "It's perfectly safe."

The moment her skates hit the ice, Emma held her breath. She was sure that either, one, she would slip and fall straight on her face or, two, she would break the ice, fall into the water, and drown. Neither of those things happened, though, and Will gently coaxed her farther out, towards the center of the pond.

"You okay?" He asked.

"Yeah." She replied. It was only then that she realized the death-grip she had on Will's arm. She was clinging to him like he was her lifeline, and she only just realized it. He came here to ice skate, not to have her holding onto him. She jumped away almost as if she was burned, and her skates went sliding backwards.

She screamed, her arms flailing, as she nearly lost her balance. Will was at her side in a second, his arm wrapped around her back, saving her from falling onto the freezing ice.

"Slow down." He said, trying not to laugh. "How about we work on getting you to skate _forwards_ before you start trying to go _backwards_?"

Emma was too freaked out by nearly falling to react to his teasing. So she just nodded.

Will spent the next hour or, probably more, teaching her how to ice skate. She was surprised that she was actually beginning to have fun. She had mastered skating the entire way across the pond without Will's help. As long as she could go straight, she didn't have a problem. It was turning that gave her issues.

Will was skating in circles around her. Literally. But she really didn't mind.

She was too enthralled in watching him skate backwards, showing off his skill, to pay attention to where she was going, which was not a good idea. The tip of the blade on her skate hit a hole in the ice, sending her flying forward and landing hard on her stomach. She skidded a few inches before coming to a stop.

"Emma!"

Will was at her side in a second, pulling her into a sitting position. She blinked her eyes a few times, seeing stars.

"Are you okay?" He asked.

"I think so." She said slowly. Her head was still spinning slightly, but other than that she didn't have any major injuries.

Will helped her back to her feet. She was somewhat shaky and he wasn't so keen on letting go of her just yet. So he moved even closer, letting his arms wrap gently around her waist and pull her close to him until their bodies were touching.

"Will?" Emma looked at him, confused. He noticed that there was a scratch on her cheek from her nasty wipeout. He reached up and touched it gently with his gloved hand.

"Are you sure you're okay?"

She nodded. "I'm fine."

"Nothing hurts?"

She shook her head. "No. I'm okay." Her heart was hammering and she was worried that Will would be able to feel it through her many layers of clothing. She definitely didn't want him thinking she was having a heart attack.

"Good." His eyes moved from her eyes to her lips, and Emma felt like her knees had just turned to jelly.

She couldn't help but look at his lips as he slowly moved towards her. Emma wanted to say something but she couldn't find her voice. Instead, she leaned forward and allowed Will to close the distance between them.

The kiss was soft and sweet and even better than the first one they had ever shared. Emma's mind went blank. She forgot where she was, she forgot that she was standing on ice, and she forgot that she had just humiliated herself by falling flat on her face. She didn't notice as a light snow began to fall, and she didn't care that the wind had suddenly picked up and was whipping her hair around her face. The only thing that mattered was her and Will. The rest of the world just seemed to melt away.

When they finally pulled apart, Emma looked up at Will. He was beaming at her, and she beamed right back.

"Guess what," Her voice was barely even a whisper, and if Will hadn't been so close the wind would've carried her words away.

"What?" He asked, equally as soft.

"I _love_ ice skating."


End file.
